We decided it would be a good idea to do some videos to spice up the site. So, here’s the quick and dirty for Green’s Tripel Blonde Ale!
As discussed in the video, Barnivore is a great resource to check if what you’re drinking is vegan.
From Brent and Christie, peace out, my vegans.
I got these guys on impulse because they’ve got my dog whistle on them: gluten-free, vegan, organic. I can’t ignore those words. Five Star Foodies artichoke burgers are made primarily from rice, cashews and artichoke and have a great flavor all by themselves.
They keep indefinitely (barring the recommendation on the label) in the freezer and for weeks in the refrigerator. They cook quickly and easily and go well with fries or a tofu scramble. They cost me about $1.75 per burger and 4 come in a bag for a total of $7. Each burger contains 16 grams of fat, more sugar than fiber and 330 milligrams of sodium so those of you who are watching your weight or your salt might want to steer free of these babies in favor of something home-made. All in all it was one of the better gluten-free veggie burgers I’ve ever had. The texture was nice: they melted in my mouth without falling apart during cooking. Still, these haven’t converted me; I’ll probably stick to home-made burgers and trying new ones.
We served them up with a tofu scramble as though they were a breakfast sausage. This is probably not what these burgers were intended for but it allowed us to really taste the burger and not the bun and condiments. If you get to try them, let us know what you think!
This is Brent and Christie, signing off!
I made a spinach artichoke dip a while ago that’s based on soy which is my favorite source of creaminess. In this particular recipe I’m using white beans for the people that I love who cannot eat soy. The nutritional profile is similar: iron, fiber, no cholesterol, low fat, rich in protein, vitamins and minerals and the flavor is just as awesome. We started with the following:
1 tin of white beans, drained OR 1 cup of white beans, soaked and [pressure] cooked
1 tin or jar of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 10 ounce package of frozen spinach
1 small onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced (more if you love garlic as much as I do)
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp vegan parmesan (optional)
1 cube of veggie bouillon (we used Rapunzel)
1 tsp of flaked red pepper
1 dash of cayenne
1/2 tsp of paprika
juice from 1/4 of a lemon
2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
1/4 cup of Daiya (optional)
Okay, so that seems like a lot of ingredients. It was really simple to make. Preheat your oven to 350F/175C… this won’t take long.
I put all of the ingredients into a bowl while my expert moosher went to work mooshing everything into oblivion. If you’re interested in something that’s creamier, I’d recommend putting the white beans into your blender or food processer first and blending until smooth but I like a little texture and Brent’s muscles are a sight to see mooshing those beans. We had to microwave it a few times to thaw the spinach.
Once it was all mixed I put everything into a loaf shaped baking tin and put it into my oven for 25 minutes. It came out smelling divine and tasting even better. I burned my mouth being so enthused about getting some of our creation into our mouths.
The Daiya and parmesan do make this richer but it wasn’t missing anything when we made it with one or the other or neither. It was still creamy, rich, delightful spinach artichoke dip, perfect for parties or snacking.
This is Brent and Christie, signing off.
Here at Turning Veganese, Brent, Melissa and I can agree that cheese is the hardest habit to kick when transitioning from a carnist to vegan lifestyle. We’ve made 3 previous posts about cheeses we’ve tried and whether or not we liked them, were useful, thought the ingredients and nutritional profile were an improvement and if we thought they were a good value. We’ve managed to track down a few more vegan cheeses and wanted to share them with you.
Better than Ricotta by Tofutti was stunningly similar to ricotta. The ingredients include soy but it’s free of nuts, dairy and gluten so it’s suitable for people with those sensitivities. It’s pretty high in calories, equal to that of regular cheeses so I’ll probably stick with home-made tofu ricotta which is also considerably cheaper compared to the $5.49 or about 30 cents per ounce.
Better than Sour Cream, also by Tofutti is another product that we liked the flavor but found the nutrition lacking and the ingredients highly processed. It also contains soy but is free of nuts and gluten making it suitable for some common food allergies but not others. Making you own at home is probably more budget friendly but this makes a great taco topping in a pinch. Making your own will be a better bet in terms of nutrition and price. It’s priced at $3.49 for 12 ounces.
We Can’t Say it’s Sour Cream by Wayfare Foods had a great calorie profile at 35 calories per ounce and is free from soy, gluten or nuts (except for coconut). The taste and texture were a little confusing. It tasted kind of like sour cream but more like Tofutti’s Better than Cream cheese. The texture was also more like cream cheese than sour cream, even after we mixed the top layer of liquid into the bulk of the product. It cost us $3.99 for 16 ounces making it a better value than Tofutti but I suspect that a lot of people wouldn’t be convinced by the flavor and texture to really enjoy it.
Free & Easy Cheese Sauce mix is more of a flavoring than a cheese substitute but can help make things that are supposed to be cheesy taste like something approaching white cheddar. The ingredients are pretty processed but mostly inoffensive and are suitable for someone with nut, soy or wheat allergies. The container says there are 12 servings in the can but I don’t think you need as much as they say to get the flavor they’re advertising. You can add this to sauces, nut or lentil pate, soy-curl “chicken” salad and anything else that you’d want to have a cheesy kick. With this product, a little goes a long way so it’s a pretty good deal at $6.95 for a 130 gram container.
Nacheez This particular cheese was low in calories (20 per ounce) and the ingredients were relatively unprocessed and inoffensive, though it does contain nuts. It’s a great source of B vitamins, iron and Vitamin C. The flavor is pretty good, though we had to add cayenne to make the ‘spicy’ version spicy enough for our taste. It microwaved well in its glass container turning into a molten pot of awesomesauce that’s great for dip at a party or pouring over your favorite taco recipe. It was a little pricey at $6.99 or 82 cents per ounce.
Mozzarisella is something I’ve been excited about because I’ve been seeing rave reviews. It comes packaged like Teese and has a softer texture. The ingredients are not particularly objectionable but the cheese has no particular nutritional value. When we actually got to tasting it, I found it had an oddly chemical flavor and Brent’s remark was that it was “like sucking on a garden hose”. We might have gotten a bad batch but I don’t think I’ll be buying it again. Even at a sale price of $7.95 ($2 less than retail) it wasn’t worth it for 7 ounces.
Parmela has a standout list of ingredients and a nutritional profile and flavor to match. I think the packaging is a great addition because it’ll look nice on your table at a fancy party when you’re serving pasta but I think it’s a little pricey at $3.99 or $1.60 per ounce. I’ll probably stick to Parma by Eat in the Raw. Parma also contains nuts so neither is suitable for those with nut allergies.
Vegan Queso by Food for Lovers does not contain nuts like Nacheez but does contain gluten so this is suitable for people with nut allergies but not for those who are sensitive to gluten. It’s very close in flavor, ingredients and nutrition to Nacheez and is similarly great for use as a dip or a topping for enchiladas or your favorite TexMex cuisine. A little cayenne and a microwave is all it needs! It’s sold at $5.99 or 50 cents per ounce which is a better deal as long as you’re not sensitive to gluten.
So we’ve shown you some more of the cheeses we’ve managed to get our hands on and hope you’ll get to try and decide for yourself. Also let us know your favorites and if we haven’t tried them, we’ll give it a spin.
This is Brent and Christie, signing off!
Brent’s birthday was last month and he wanted pizza. We do periodically make our own crust but I wanted something special so I went to a bakery that knows it’s stuff for a pre-made crust. The Zen Cat Bakery has been a favorite for years with delectable vegan treats that are also reliably gluten-free. I wanted to give them a shout-out for making my early days as a vegan bearable.
I’ve been a big fan of their Super Chunk food bars and Oh Snap! Triple Ginger cookies (above is a picture of what happens to them whenever they arrive) but I digress: this post is about pizza. I ordered 4 pizza crusts from the owner, Angie Kenny via email. I told her when I needed them and they arrived on time and intact.
Before long I also knew they were as delicious and as durable as a wheat crust but without the gastrointestinal distress. We followed Angie’s instructions and created a pizza with vegan gluten-free sausage, mushrooms and pepperoncini peppers.It’s hard to go wrong with all that deliciousness going on.
We covered it with Daiya shreds in cheddar and baked it to toasty perfection.
We found the crusts flavorful but not overpowering and the texture was lightly chewy and airy but substantial. The only thing missing is nutrition data for my daily calorie counting (watching my girlish figure…) but there were no complaints.
Brent was a happy birthday boy and was really psyched to know that we can get awesome pizza crusts! Let me know which companies get your business when you go vegan by mail or if you’ve been by the Zen Cat bakery.
This is Christie, signing off!
A while back, Brent posted about what he calls bachelor chow. It turns out I have a lady version of this dish. Mine is fairly straightforward and has a nutritional profile that my needs and just happens to compliment Brent’s version well. Before I was vegan this included tilapia but that was quickly and easily replaced with less expensive, cholesterol-free chickpeas. That’s most of what you’ll need:
1 tin of chickpeas, drained OR 1 cup of chickpeas, soaked and pressure cooked
1 10 ounce or 1 lb. bag of frozen vegetables (I prefer mixes with broccoli, carrots and peas or beans)
whatever combination of hot sauce, tamari or soy sauce and teryaki sauce or mushroom sauce does it for you
1 tsp olive oil
I put the chickpeas into a pan with the olive oil and often some flake red pepper or cayenne and fry the chickpeas until they get all steamy! I add the frozen veggies and stir-fry until they’re hot and then add sauces to taste. This is a versatile budget friendly meal that’s pretty family friendly. When I make this for me and Brent, I’ll use 2 10 ounce bags of vegetables or a 1 pound bag. It usually comes out to less than $5 for dinner for 2, less if you start with dried chickpeas. Fresh, frozen or dried black-eyed peas (sometimes called cow peas), lima beans, edamame or green peas are great for when you want a change.
What’s your super quick and easy meal for days when you don’t really want to cook?
This is Christie, signing off!
Brent and I eat too much delicious food apparently and are trying to figure out more ways to enjoy our favorite foods without packing on the pounds. I decided to make some Thai green curry.
To start, Brent chopped this mountain of vegetables. We put just about everything that we had into this bad boy including
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 lb. of green beans
2 portabella caps, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
5 scallions, chopped
4 Thai peppers, sliced
a small knob of ginger
1 tin of bamboo shoots, drained
1 13.5 oz. can of light coconut milk
1.5 cups of almond, soy or coconut milk
1 handful of Thai basil (optional)
1 tbsp green curry paste
juice and zest from a lime (save half for wedges to garnish the dish)
1 drop of lemongrass extract or 1 stalk of lemongrass, pounded to release fragrance
olive oil
1 tsp coconut or turbinado sugar (more if you like it sweet)
salt to taste
Check curry pastes carefully. Many contain shrimp paste which is bad for anyone with an allergy and not suitable for vegans. I started by putting the Thai peppers, lemongrass or extract (remove the lemongrass before serving), onion and ginger into the pan with some olive oil.
I sauteed them until the onion started to brown. Then I added the coconut milk, lime zest, sugar and curry paste. I didn’t get as much zestyness as I wanted from the lime so I added some additional lemon zest (2 pinches) when I was adjusting the sweetness and seasonings.
Then we added the broccoli, green beans, and mushrooms and allowed them to steam lightly for 3-4 minutes while mixing them into the sauce. If you’re interested in adding some protein, a 2.5 cups of chickpeas or some pressed cubed tofu would make an excellent addition. I added the scallions, bamboo shoots and bell pepper about 5 minutes later. I squeezed the lime over it and mixed in the Thai basil. and stirred it until I could smell the basil.
We served it over quinoa with white wine. German style white wines compliment this kind of dish well, particularly riesling or gewurztraminer. It was definitely a spicy green curry but much lighter than I’m used to. I mostly tasted vegetables and peppery coconut which isn’t a bad thing. I’d love to hear how you lighten up your favorite dshes.
This is Christie and Brent, signing off!
I’m calling this the mean green sandwich because it’s full of raw, good-for-you awesomesauce and they’re open face because I like to look my meal in the eye. Fortunately these don’t have any eyes because I have issues with that. The first thing I did was make a basil garlic spread using the following:
1 very large handful of basil leaves
5-6 peeled garlic cloves
1/4 cup of pumpkin pits
1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp Meyer lemon olive oil
2 tbsp veganaise
1/2 tsp flake red pepper
1/2 cup of water (you might not use all of it)
I blended all of that up, adding water as needed to form a spreadable texture. We spread it on sliced, toasted gluten-free bread and topped it with spinach and avocado.
I added a lot of extra flake red pepper because I’m just that kind of girl. This was a fast and delicious meal. The buttery avocado was a great contrast to the spicy basil and pesto. The nuttiness of the bread and hemp reminded me I was getting a heaping dose of omega fatty acids and protein to go with my antioxidants and iron. It would have been great in a nori wrap with sprouts too for a real raw meal! Maybe we’ll do that next time and until then, nom on!
This is Christie, signing off!
Brent and I are still trying to find lighter versions of our favorites and yellow curry is on that list. We recently became acquainted with PB2 thanks to co-author Melissa and have found it to be everything it’s advertised to be: a low-fat full-flavor version of the comfort food I know and love. This made this dish possible along with 2 bags of generic frozen vegetables. As a biochemist I’ve learned that the best ways to preserve labile (that’s how biochemists say ‘unstable’) compounds is by storing them frozen or dried and preferably both. Dried and frozen veggies, nuts and fruits are something I often choose over canned or ‘fresh’ (i.e. not from our farmers’ market). While tinned and fresh produce is often useful and tasty, you never know how long it’s been sitting on a shelf or in the back of a refrigerated truck while the nutrients have been breaking down due to natural processes that can be slowed or stopped by freezing or drying. There is still a lot we don’t know about how our bodies work and scientists discover new compounds that are important to health and nutrition more often than you might think. Variety and well preserved or fresh foods are the best ways to make the most of compounds we don’t know about just yet, as far as I’m concerned. I digress… lets talk curry. We used the following
1 lb. bag of generic frozen seasoning mix (pepper, onion, celery)
1 lb. bag of generic frozen mixed vegetables (zucchini. carrot, lima beans, cauliflower)
1 13.5 ounce tin of chickpeas, drained OR 1 cup of dried garbanzos, soaked overnight and parboiled
2 generous pinches of cumin seeds
2 tbsp minced ginger
3 Thai chilis, sliced
1 pinch of cayenne (optional)
1 pinch of cinnamon
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp PB2 dissolved in 1/2 cup water
1 tsp coconut or turbinado sugar (more if you like sweeter curry)
salt to taste
We combined the cumin seeds with minced ginger in a deep skillet with the olive oil. We stirred it over medium high heat until it was fragrant. We started the rice at this point because we used brown rice with took about 45 minutes. The curry was ready about 15 minutes before the rice.
To this we added the seasoning mix of vegetables, peppers, cinnamon, PB2 in water and chickpeas. I stirred it until the vegetables were thawed and heated thoroughly.
Then we added the rest of the veggies and sugar and stirred until the vegetables were hot and tender.
This was a lighter curry and tasted divine. Thanks to PB2 we had something light and nutritious and good enough to share though I’ll probably make some tweaks in the future. Let me know if you get to try this and what you’d do to improve on it.
This is Christie, signing off!
Even “hint of lime” chips often contain sour cream or whey for flavoring and this makes me SO angry. Being limited to greasy potato chips or plain corn chips gets a little old so we’re trying out some alternatives to let you know what’s in the bag.
Plentils come in 4 flavors (sorry, the other 2 aren’t in the picture because we ate them already): sea salt, dill and sour cream, margherita pizza and garlic parmesan. They’re light and airy and the flavors are outstanding. I particularly liked the margherita pizza and Brent liked the garlic parmesan. We’d buy these again. They’ve got a decent amount of protein, fiber and iron in each serving and aren’t terribly greasy or heavy. They’re $3.99 per bag and the bag is pretty big but it’s mostly air. If you’re sensitive to gluten, these are a great alternative to health chips that often contain wheat ingredients.
Nacho, sea salt and pepper and pico de gallo are the thee flavors we tried from Beanfield’s . The nutrition data is pretty good, there’s a reasonable amount of iron, fiber, protein and calcium. They’re $3.49 per bag and there’s a lot more than in Plentils. The texture is light and crispy and the flavors are awesome. These are both great alterniatives for people who can’t have corn chips but want to enjoy their salsa!
This is Christie and Brent, signing off!
Turning Veganese 